This is the first article in a series highlight the superstars in the 2030hub community both at home and abroad, and often both. First up are the fantastic Fifty Eight (that’s their name not how many they are!) who specialise in partnering with organisations and individuals throughout the value chain to achieve work that enhances quality of life, free from exploitation.
We’ve known Quintin and Angela from almost day one (actually day 16), so it is only fitting that one of our longest supporters get their shout out first, and they are true SDG and B Corp pioneers! Fifty Eight are one of the brightest of a new breed of local for-profit impact businesses beginning to shine way beyond their local base.
Fifty Eight was inspired by a trip around Asia in 2011 taken by Quintin and Angela Lake. They were struck by the positive impact on people and communities a good business model could bring. Workplaces that improved the quality of life for everyone connected to them – from customers, to staff, to their supply chain. On their return to the UK, they set to work on gaining the knowledge and experience necessary to work with companies internationally. They launched Fifty Eight in September 2014.
The name Fifty Eight comes from a chapter in the Old Testament book of Isaiah which challenges us to ensure our workplaces and communities are free from exploitation and injustice. Fifty Eight reinvests profits into SMEs and organisations that are committed to tackling the root causes of modern slavery through job creation and education.
“Across all of our work, we are finding the Sustainable Development Goals are helping companies better understand their impact on the communities they operate in – both socially and environmentally – and identify the areas they can adapt the way they work to bring positive change.” - Quintin Lake.
One of their biggest successes has been the launch and growth of Just Good Work (www.justgoodwork.com) which is a mobile app that enables migrant job-seekers and workers to receive simple, concise and accurate information, on both their journey to employment and experience of life and work in their destination country. It informs them on their rights and responsibilities at home, in their chosen destination and where to access help at home and abroad. This better equips them to apply for jobs that are legitimate, worthwhile and appropriate to their skills and abilities. Empowering them to be safer, free from abuse, deception and debt bondage. Simultaneously, anonymised data and voluntary user feedback gives companies visibility into the experiences of workers as they journey into your supply chain and while they are there. After an initial pilot in Qatar and Kenya in July 2018, Just Good Work was launched in Kenya in English and Swahili in March 2019 and is rapidly generating its own growth momentum.
Fifty Eight were also one of the first locally pioneering companies that 2030hub supported on their journey to B Corp certification. With an announcement pretty imminent, watch this space for the big shout when Quintin and Angela finally cross the finish line and are able to share the big news!
“We are passionate about enabling those who are exploited or at risk of exploitation to become agents of change in their own stories. Equipping those with the will and power to do good to partner with them to achieve workplaces that are good for everyone. - Angela Lake.
Please support our good friends creating great impact at Fifty Eight by checking our their websites at www.50eight.com, www.justgoodwork.com and following their social media updates via @follow50eight and @JustGoodWork on Twitter.
Or even better, head over to 2030hub and arrange to say a much more human hello to the Fifty Eight team yourself!
